All those who have watched or followed every game of this edition of the T20 World Cup, agree that this has been the best of all the T20 World Cups that have been held since 2007. We have seen ecstasy, agony, upsets, and underdogs punching above their weight. Until the last round of games in the Super-12, there wasn't even a single team who had qualified for the semis. Such was the magnitude of this World Cup.
We now have our 4 semi-finalists who have had their share of difficulties in reaching here. The first semi-final promises to be a mouth-watering encounter between New Zealand and Pakistan.
New Zealand hit the ground running in the World Cup opener after smashing the hosts and the holders by 89 runs. There was no looking back since then for the Kiwis. One of their games was washed out and they lost the other one to England but still managed to qualify for the semis as the group toppers owing to the huge margin of victories against other teams.
Pakistan on the other hand looked down and out after losing the first couple of games against India and Zimbabwe but they qualified in a way only they could. Smashed the Proteas and then were handed a lifeline by the Netherlands, who defeated the South Africans. Pakistan is the sort of team that you wish to avoid during the knockouts. You never know which Pakistan might turn up for the game. One that surrendered meekly to Zimbabwe or the one that dismantled South Africans.
Players to watch out for
New Zealand
Kane Williamson
Kane has had a pretty ordinary tournament by his standards. He scored a 50 in the last game but still needs to get runs against big guns. One can expect him to play the sheet anchor role once again to Conway, Allen, and Phillips. He is a vital cog in that line up which has a lot of fire power. It will be interesting to see how he handles Shadab and Nawaz during the middle phase of the innings. His bowling changes have been spot-on too.
Pakistan
Shadab Khan
If there is one player who has exceeded expectations and made Pakistan believe is Shadab Khan. He literally brought Pakistan back into the competition with his innings against South Africa and followed it up with the double wicket over when Bavuma and Markram were running away with the game. Pakistan will expect him to do well at the SCG where the wicket assists spinners and his battle with Kane Williamson will be one to watch out for.
Probable Playing XI
New Zealand:
Finn Allen, Devon Conway (WK), Kane Williamson (C), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson.
Pakistan:
Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah.
Facts & Numbers
- New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 Head-to-Head
Played: 28
Pakistan won; 17
New Zealand won: 11
Games won by the side batting first: 14 (Pakistan 9, New Zealand 5)
Games won by the side batting second: 14 (Pakistan 8, New Zealand 6)
- Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) T20I Record
Matches: 17
Won by the team batting first: 10
Won by the team batting second: 6
No Result: 1
Highest Total: 221 for 5 by Australia vs England in 2007
Lowest Total: 101 All Out by Bangladesh vs South Africa in 2022
Highest Individual Scorer: Shane Watson (Australia) - 124 not out vs India in 2016
Best Bowling Innings: Anrich Nortje (South Africa) - 4 for 10 vs Bangladesh in 2022
- New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 World Cup Results
2007 Semifinal: Pakistan won by 6 wickets
2009 Group Stage: Pakistan won by 6 wickets
2010 Group Stage: New Zealand won by 1 run
2012 Group Stage: Pakistan won by 13 runs
2016 Super 10: New Zealand won by 16 runs
2021 Super 12: Pakistan won by 5 wickets
Weather and Pitch Report
The Sydney weather forecast indicates that there is a possibility of rain on the specified day. The probability is 24% during the day but drops to 4% at night.
Sydney has been probably the best wicket for batters, scoring is comparatively easy here as bowlers don't get much help from the pitch, whosoever bats first would like to score 180 and above to put the opposition under pressure.
Date: Wednesday, November 09, 2022
Time: 01:30 PM IST and 19:00 local time
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar
Our prediction
We expect a close contest but Pakistan to advance to the grand finale. They have what it takes to go all the way. Add to it a classic proposition of them facing India in the finals at MCG. They have the spinners to do the job at the SCG. Their openers who have carried their team for the last 18 months are yet to perform. If one of them gets going, there's no stopping Pakistan. They have got an entry through back door thanks to the Netherlands but they might be the first team to reach the final.
Dream 11 Team
